Political unrest 1919 - 1923

• What was the name of the German republic between 1919 and 1933?


  Weimar Republic
• Why was the Weimar Republic created?


  It was created after Germany lost World War One during a time of confusion and chaos.
• What major problems did the Weimar Republic face up to 1924?


  It faced problems caused by its punishment in the Treaty of Versailles.
• What event led to the abdication of the Kaiser?


  The defeat in World War One.
• What did many Germans call their government for signing the armistice?

  They called them the November criminals.
• What theory emerged regarding the German army's defeat in World War One?


  Many believed the army had been 'stabbed in the back' by politicians.
• What was the Treaty of Versailles?


  The peace treaty signed by the Allies and Germany at the end of World War One.
• Who were the Allies during World War One?


  Great Britain, France, Russia, Italy, Japan, and the USA.
• What was the impact of the Weimar Republic's unpopularity?


  It faced violent uprisings from both sides of the political spectrum.
• What were the two main uprisings against the Weimar Republic in 1919-1920?

  • The Spartacist Uprising (Left)
  • The Kapp Putsch (Right)
• Who led the Spartacist Uprising?

  Rosa Luxemburg and Karl Liebknecht.
• How did the government respond to the Spartacist Uprising?


  It armed bands of ex-soldiers known as the Freikorps to defeat the rebels.
• What happened to the Communist People's Government in Bavaria?


  It was crushed by the Freikorps.
• What was the Kapp Putsch?


  A right-wing nationalist takeover led by Dr. Wolfgang Kapp in Berlin.
• Why did the regular army refuse to attack the Freikorps during the Kapp Putsch?


  They were sympathetic to the Freikorps' nationalist cause.
• How was the Kapp Putsch ultimately defeated?


  It was defeated when the workers of Berlin went on strike and refused to cooperate.
• How many government politicians were assassinated by nationalist terrorists in the early years of the republic?

  356 politicians.
• What was the judicial response to nationalist terrorists in the Weimar Republic?


  Judges often gave them light sentences or let them go free.
• What uprisings occurred during the hyperinflation crisis of 1923?


  • Black Reichswehr rebellion in September
  • Communist takeover in Saxony and Thuringia in October
  • Communist declaration of independence in the Rhineland in October
  • Nazi putsch attempt in Munich in November
• What was the name of the nationalist group that rebelled in September 1923?


  Black Reichswehr
• What did the Communists do in October 1923?


  They took over the governments of Saxony and Thuringia.
• What did the Communists declare in October 1923?


  They declared the Rhineland independent.
• What was the significance of the Nazi putsch in November 1923?


  It brought Hitler to national prominence after he was jailed for nine months.
• How long was Hitler jailed for his part in the attempted coup?


  Nine months.